Request for comments: Proposal from a member


Note: At the Annual General Meeting on April 19, NSWOOA Past President Tom Miller asked the Association to consider allocating funds to several projects. The membership voted to have the Board of Directors consider Tom's proposals and decide whether to allocate the requested funds. However, the board would like to receive comments from the membership before making its decision. Subsequently, Mr. Miller withdrew 2 of his proposals. The following is Tom Miller's summary of the proposal he wishes the board to consider. The board invites all NSWOOA members to comment on whether the NSWOOA should allocate funds to this purposes. Comments should be made by email to nswooa@gmail.com

There are many good fights being fought throughout the Province and we can't be trying to help with all of them. However as the "Good Book" says we reap what we sow and perhaps we can see fit to help financially with the following:

Bob Bancroft and Alice Reed, NSWOOA members from Pomquet, Antigonish County are involved in a legal action against the Nova Scotia Dept. of Natural Resources(DNR) and the NS Dept. of the Environment (DOE) as well as the Federal Department of Fisheries(DFO). This comes from the inability or desire of these Departments to enforce their own laws.

Bob and Alice are fighting these Government departments because of a clear cut that took place upstream from their property in 2007 and from which they have documented many infractions of the laws pretaining to these government departments. They have taken hundreds of dated pictures as the mess unfolded and kept a chronology of what transpired. Most notably, 9 metre Riparian zone buffer instead of the required 20 metres, each rain storm fills the brook, their pond and the brooks outlet into Pomquet Harbour with silt, and the contractor cut down an active goshawk nest, a species of concern in Nova Scotia. Perhaps the most incredible of all, is that, two years later, today as you read this, a Timbco forestry harvester that broke down in the mud is abandoned on the site and leaking hydraulic fluid up hill and not too far from the brook!

DFO will lay no charges regarding the clearcut saying fish habitat does not exist. Bob, a retired wildlife biologist and fisheries officer has identified 6 fish species in their unstocked ponds. DNR has issued two warnings, ignored additional violations and laid no charges under the Wildlife Habitat and Watercourses Protection Regulations.

This action that Bob and Alice are funding out of their own pockets (with some help from others) is of concern to all Nova Scotians. WHEN they win this battle we will all benefit from the increased protection to our environment. This legal battle is too large for only a few to fight. Not with so much at stake.

Therefore, I would like to request the Board of the NSWOOA to consider financial aid in the form of $1000.00 to help these fellow members in this very important endeavour.

Please comment directly to the board of the NSWOOA by emailing nswooa@gmail.com